Buenos Aires in 24 hours

Only have a day in the city? Here is a suggested itinerary that takes advantage of the City tourist bus.

9 am Plaza de Congreso & Plaza de Mayo

Start your day at the Plaza de Congreso (subte stop ‘Congreso’ on the línea A) which houses the magnificent Congress, built in 1906 and open for tours (Mon-Tues and Thurs-Fri, 11am and 4pm).
From there, stroll down the prestigious Avenida de Mayo, which was constructed to link the Congress to the Plaza de Mayo. When you cross over the Avenida 9 de Julio, look left to see the iconic Obelisk, erected in 1936 to celebrate the foundation of the city.

As you walk towards the Plaza de Mayo, peek in or have a coffee and medialuna at the old Cafe Tortoni (Avenida de Mayo 829) and pop down into Peru subway station which has been restored to look like it did when first built in 1913.

The Plaza de Mayo is a large central plaza, home to the Casa Rosada, the Presidential Office from where Evita Perón would give her famous addresses to the nation, and theCathedral, where Pope Francis used to officiate as Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

10.30 San Telmo

From the Plaza de Mayo walk south down calle Bolivar or any of its parallel streets into the old San Telmo neighbourhood, the former heart of the city. You’ll pass some of the city’s oldest buildings, like the Manzana de las Luces and the Iglesia San Ignacio. When you hit calle Humberto I°, take a left and you’ve arrived at Plaza Dorrego and the San Telmo market, a hive of activity on most days, but especially on Sundays when the market spills out onto the adjacent streets.

For a mid-morning coffee, drop into one of the many traditional San Telmo cafes (you can download a list here on our Spanish site).

12pm La Boca

From San Telmo, hop on the City Tourist Bus (stop 5, on Av. Paseo Colón between Pasaje Giuffra and Av. Independencia) and head to the colourful port-side neighbourhood of La Boca and to the famous outside museum, the ‘Caminito’ (stop 9). You can buy your tickets on the bus.

Besides the Caminito, football fans might like to take a tour of the Bombonera (Brandsen 805), home of Boca Jrs, while modern art enthusiasts can wander to the Fundación PROA(Av. Pedro de Mendoza 1929), a cool contemporary art space. Its upstairs café has great views of the old Riachuelo port.

1.30pm Puerto Madero

Jump back onto the tourist bus towards Puerto Madero (stop 11): you’ll pass in front of the Ecological Reserve (see Sports & Parks) and be dropped off on the docks, where you’ll find tranquil and elegant riverside bars and eateries for a lunchtime break, and can marvel at the dramatic Puente de la Mujer (Women’s Bridge).

Art and history lovers should check out the eclectic Colección de Arte Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat (Olga Cossettini 141) or board the Fragata ARA Sarmiento, a naval museum inside a nineteenth century ship .

3.30pm Recoleta & Palermo

From Puerto Madero, the tourist bus will take you to Recoleta (stop 15) where you can drop into the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Av. del Libertador 1473), the Palais de Glace, (Av. del Libertador 1248) or the Recoleta Cultural Centre (Junín 1930). Or you can simply meander along Recoleta’s tree-lined avenues and plazas past the Plaza Francia and the splendid Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Junín 1904) towards the labyrinthineRecoleta Cemetery (Junín 1760).

Further up heading into Palermo is the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo (Av. del Libertador 1902) and the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (Av. Figueroa Alcorta 3415 – stop 16 on the city bus), as well as the Museo Evita (Lafinur 2988). If it’s sunny and you fancy a stroll in the park, head to the tranquil oasis of the Japanese Gardens (Av Casares 2966).

If you find yourself in Palermo in the late afternoon, walk south-westwards towardsPalermo Soho for a bit of window-shopping (go to Shopping) and a relaxed drink in the sunshine.

8.00pm Teatro or Tango

Start your evening with a concert at the Colón Theatre (Cerrito 628), followed by a late dinner at a parrilla steak house (see Gastronomic Culture). The Colón is world-class concert hall for opera, ballet and classical music. If you don’t have time to watch a concert, you can instead take an hour or so in the morning to do a backstage tour – they run every day in English from 9am-5pm. You can walk up to the Colón along the Av. 9 de Julio from the Av. de Mayo.

Alternatively, if dinner and a tango show is more your scene, try one of many restaurants in the city centre that hosts live tango performances. Go to our Tango & Live Musicsection for more information.

11.30pm Head to a bar for a nightcap or a pick-me up

To wrap up your evening or get you in the mood for a spot of late-night dancing, settle down to a drink at one of the many bars in Palermo or San Telmo (see Bars & Nightlife) and enjoy soaking up the city’s vibrant nightlife.

1.00am Grab your dancing shoes

If you’re still up then it’s time you put on your dancing shoes.

For tango beats and an authentic porteño experience head to a milonga, a traditional tango hall. They often get going late – well after midnight. You might like to try La Viruta(Armenia 1366) or La Catedral (Sarmiento 4006). Click here to download a list of popularmilongas in the city.

For electro, hop hop and rock beats, head to the Costanera Sur or the Palermo Soho and Hollywood neighbourhoods, and don’t be at all surprised if you’re still dancing at dawn.

Fuente: buenosaires.gob.ar